Ski boots are often made so that the cuff, surrounding the user's ankle and lower leg, can pivot a relatively small amount forwardly and rearwardly with respect to the lower shell housing the user's foot. The pivoted cuffs thus allow the user to make the necessary small adjustments to their forward lean while skiing. However, when conventional pivoted cuffs pivot forwardly beyond some normal setting, the lower, leading edge of the cuff becomes jammed against the instep of the lower shell. This causes distortion of both the cuff and the shell tending to flatten out the shell so that it presses against the user's foot.